A fresh translation and commentary to Tibet's most famous text on living like a bodhisattva Who are bodhisattvas and what do they practice? In the fourteenth century, the Tibetan Buddhist master Gyalse Tokmé Zangpo answered these questions in a now classic teaching called the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva. This text, consisting of inspiring verses distilling the entire Mahayana path of compassion, continues to inspire modern-day Buddhist masters, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama. One of the most important commentaries on the Thirty-Seven Practices is by the twentieth-century master Dzatrul Ngawang Tenzin Norbu, known as the Buddha of Dza Rongphu, and is translated here along with associated meditation instructions for the first time. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, who requested this translation by Christopher Stagg, provides an informative overview to the history of the text and commentary, introducing the reader to the world of one of Tibet's most widely studied texts.
Ngulchu Gyalsas Thogmed Zangmo;s The Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva is one of Tibetan Buddhist's most popular texts, incorporated in the Mind Training text and also able to be explained according to the Lam Rim tradition. Its advice is timeless and its relevance is universal. This commentary by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as expounded during Kalachakra teachings at Bodh Gaya, is characterised by its clarity, practicality and profundity. Each stanza of the root text is elucidated precisely and in accessible language; in addition, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives introductory talks at the start of each day of teaching in which he touches on every aspects of our daily lives. Thus, the contents of this book will be beneficial to Buddhist scholars and general readers alike
A Tibetan Buddhist master shares his commentary on Santideva's Way of the Bodhisattva, illuminating the path to enlightenment and the meaning of true compassion What would be the practical implications of caring more about others than about yourself? This is the radical theme of this extraordinary set of instructions, a training manual composed in the fourteenth century by the Buddhist hermit Ngulchu Thogme, here explained in detail by one of the great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the twentieth century, Dilgo Khyentse. In the Mahayana tradition, those who have the courage to undertake the profound change of attitude required to develop true compassion are called bodhisattvas. Their great resolve—to consider others’ needs as paramount, and thus to attain enlightenment for the sake of all living creatures—carries them beyond the limits imposed by the illusions of “I” and “mine,” culminating in the direct realization of reality, transcending dualistic notions of self and other. This classic text presents ways that we can work with our own hearts and minds, starting wherever we find ourselves now, to unravel our small-minded preoccupations and discover our own potential for compassion, love, and wisdom. Many generations of Buddhist practitioners have been inspired by these teachings, and the great masters of all traditions have written numerous commentaries. Dilgo Khyentse’s commentary is probably his most extensive recorded teaching on Mahayana practice.
A unique presentation of the Buddhist path by Chökyi Dragpa, the foremost Gelug disciple of the famed nineteenth-century Tibetan master Patrul Rinpoche. Illuminating the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva's quotations and direct instructions from realized sages of the past reinforce one another, subtly penetrating the mind and preparing it for meditation. This book, while fully accessible to newcomers, is especially powerful for serious, established practitioners. Illuminating the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva was previous published under the title Uniting Wisdom and Compassion.
Thirty-seven Practices of a Bodhisattva is an ancient text written in the 14th Century BCE by Tokme Zangpo, a Buddhist monk and scholar who was born in Puljung, south west of the Sakya Monastery in Tibet. Thirty-seven Practices seeks to make clear the day-to-day behavior of a Bodhisattva (an nlightened being on their way to attaining full Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings). It serves as a practical guide for those people seeking to travel the path of enlightenment. Though short in length, a person could spend a lifetime perfecting the practices. The work can be seen as a companion to Santideva's classic work the Bodhicaryavatara. While there are English translations of this text, they are a little difficult to understand for many readers living in the 21st Century. The mode of expression and the figures of speech are the product of that far-off time. This book faithfully re-expresses in modern day language the underlying message of the original text. Every effort has been made to preserve the underlying spirit of the message. This work respects the beauty of the original text, yet it brings the even greater beauty of the underlying message to a whole new audience in the modern world who might otherwise find the original text less than easy to fully understand. If you are embarking on the path to nlightenment, or just curious, this little book could be just the change agent you have been looking for. It is said to be one of the Dalai Lama's favorite texts.
The Six Perfections of generosity, ethical discipline, patience, enthusiastic effort, concentration, and wisdom are practiced by Bodhisattvas who have the supreme intention of attaining enlightenment for the sake of others. These six are perfections because they give rise to complete enlightenment. Practice of them also insures the attainment of an excellent body and mind in the future and even more favorable conditions for effective practice than those we enjoy at present. Generosity leads to the enjoyment of ample resources, ethical discipline gives a good rebirth, patience leads to an attractive appearance and supportive companions, enthusiastic effort endows the ability to complete what is undertaken, fostering concentration makes the mind invulnerable to distraction, and wisdom discriminates between what needs to be cultivated and what must be discarded and leads to greater wisdom in the future.
Motivated by the purest of compassion, the Gyalwang Karmapas have taken rebirth continuously since the eleventh century. The present seventeenth incarnation, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, was born in Eastern Tibet in 1985. Seven years later, he was recognized by a letter of prediction and brought to Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of the Karmapas in Tibet. Here, he received a traditional education in practice and philosophy, and at the turn of the millennium, he journeyed over the Himalayas to India where he presently resides. Known for his clear and direct teaching style, the youthful Karmapa radiates the brilliance of his heritage. Traveling the Path of Compassion, his commentary on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva connects this revered text with our daily lives and our deepest aspirations.
Brave, Generous, & Undefended is for all who desire freedom from confusion, self-absorption, and suffering. Rich with insight, humor, and fearless love, Barbara Du Bois's fresh, direct heart-teachings on the timeless 37 Bodhisattva Practices encourage and guide seekers and practitioners at all levels, in any spiritual tradition. Composed in the 14th century by Tibetan teacher Tokme Zangpo, the 37 Bodhisattva Practices show clearly, and definitely, how to cultivate the expansive, freeing compassion and love that cut the tree of suffering at its root, for the benefit of others and ourselves. This is the way of the bodhisattva--one dedicated to the well-being, happiness, and liberation of all--and Brave, Generous, & Undefended is a profound teaching on living forth in ordinary life this highest of callings. The author, Barbara DuBois, a contemporary Western Dharma teacher, brings her energetic, penetrating wisdom from the heart to Tokme Zangpo's classic text. The bodhisattva training contained in this book turn one's self-absorption inside out, revealing the good heart that seeks ultimate freedom--for all. As a longtime practitioner, familiar with the tricks of conditioned mind and what it is hiding from, Du Bois includes and embraces us as participants in these intimate, dynamic discussions that vividly demonstrate the transformational power of the bodhisattva intention. Readers may find that arrows of love and truth pierce their illusions of self and separation, showing how, in the ever-present union of absolute and relative, we already are what we aspire to become: embodiments of truth and love. This profound yet practical book will inspire, support, guide, and invigorate beginning seekers and advanced practitioners in every tradition, as well as those without a formal spiritual focus or path. The author's Dharma training and wisdom, together with her psychological, phenomenological, and sociological perspectives, are uniquely angled to illumine our most evident and our most hidden dilemmas and confusions--as well as the gifts we bring to the path of awakening and to all our companions on the way. Her invitation to each of us: "...take what speaks to you and test it for yourself, contemplate and practice on it until you attain confidence, and then continue, for the benefit of all."
It can be hard for those of us living in the twenty-first century to see how fourteenth-century Buddhist teachings still apply. When you’re trying to figure out which cell phone plan to buy or brooding about something someone wrote about you on Facebook, lines like "While the enemy of your own anger is unsubdued, though you conquer external foes, they will only increase" can seem a little obscure. Thubten Chodron’s illuminating explication of Togmay Zangpo’s revered text, The Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, doesn’t just explain its profound meaning; in dozens of passages she lets her students and colleagues share first-person stories of the ways that its teachings have changed their lives. Some bear witness to dramatic transformations—making friends with an enemy prisoner-of-war, finding peace after the murder of a loved one—while others tell of smaller lessons, like waiting for something to happen or coping with a minor injury.
